MTN Group, in partnership with GSMA, UNICEF, and governments, is leading a new push to prioritise child online safety across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa’s biggest telco has stressed that the rapidly growing digital access has opened the door to increased risk to children online.
MTN Group has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing child online protection in its partnership with GSMA.
This call to action follows the release of the ‘Enhancing Child Online Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa' whitepaper by GSMA, which highlights alarming trends and offers strategic recommendations for building a safer digital environment.
The paper was informed by a multistakeholder roundtable hosted at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, and includes insights from countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan, and Zambia.
“Young people are not passive users of technology. They are shaping and engaging with the digital world on their own terms. Our obligation is to build systems that match that reality with responsibility, protection and respect,” said Nompilo Morafo, group chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer at MTN Group.
Research conducted by IPSOS revealed that more than half of Nigerian children surveyed had experienced online bullying or harassment.
In South Sudan and Zambia, the absence of digital literacy and parental guidance was linked to stress, harmful content exposure, and online exploitation.
“The responsibility to act is ours – collectively and urgently. A safer digital future for the children of Sub-Saharan Africa depends on the steps we take today,” said renowned child advocate Jemima Kasongo.
The whitepaper underscores the need for child-centric legal frameworks, digital literacy education, and public-private partnerships. It calls for stronger enforcement of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and urges regional collaboration through a new GSMA/UNICEF-led taskforce, of which MTN is a founding member.
“Africa must act now to protect its children online,” the whitepaper urges.
It recommends that governments adopt strategies aligned with the African Union’s Child Online Safety and Empowerment Strategy, and embrace emerging technologies, such as AI-driven content moderation tools.
MTN’s “Help Children be Children” initiative, and similar efforts by Safaricom, Airtel Africa, and Orange, reflect growing industry momentum.
However, the report emphasises that lasting impact will depend on “moving from dialogue to tangible action.”
“By investing in digital literacy, empowering youth voices, and building inclusive policy frameworks, stakeholders have the opportunity to ensure children across Africa grow up in a digital world that is safe, inclusive, and empowering,” says the whitepaper.
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